1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to finger type cotton strippers for harvesting ultra narrow row cotton (UNRC) and, more specifically, to an insert for the stripping fingers for changing the gap between adjacent fingers.
2) Related Art
UNRC strippers typically include a fingerhead having narrowly spaced fingers. A typical fingerhead attachment is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,358,921 assigned to Allis-Chalmers. Cotton plants are directed between the fingers which remove the cotton bolls from the plants. One of the most important factors affecting stripping efficiency of the fingerhead is the spacing between the fingers. If the gap is too narrow, the head will strip bark and branches and pull stalks out of the ground. If the gap is too wide, cotton bolls will be missed and efficiency will be reduced.
One method of adjusting finger gap involves the time-consuming and tedious task of adding or removing fingers and moving all the fingers along a support on the head. The above-mentioned U.S. Pat. No. 4,358,921 shows another adjustment method wherein a finger insert is connected to the finger with two bolts. Although this method has made gap changing easier, the task is still very time consuming, and the insert attaching bolts protrude from the side of the finger where they can catch cotton and cause plugging.